Minerals of the African Continent: Rio Tinto's Simandou Project to Exit After a Breakthrough in Guinea

Isabelle Deschamps joined Rio Tinto in 2021 and played a key role in the legal restructuring that advanced the development of the Simandou project. The mine is scheduled to start production in November 2025, with the first shipment of iron ore arriving in China in mid-January 2026.

Rio Tinto announced on Thursday that Isabelle Deschamps will step down as Chief Legal Officer, Head of Governance and Public Affairs of the Australian mining giant. Deschamps is a well-known figure in Conakry politics and has held this position since November 2021.

Rio Tinto is a partner in the joint venture for blocks 3 and 4 of the Simandou iron ore mine in Guinea, which officially started production in November 2025.

Deschamps joined Rio Tinto shortly after the coup that overthrew General Mamadi Doumbia. The new leader was determined to accelerate the development of Simandou, eventually leading to the signing of the framework agreement in 2022, which secured investment for the necessary railway and port infrastructure for the project.

During her tenure, Deschamps helped establish new partnership terms and led multiple company delegations to Guinea to discuss progress on the Simandou project. After years of delays, the project finally came into production as coordination mechanisms between the authorities and participating companies improved.

Since joining in 2021, Isabelle has laid a stronger foundation for Rio Tinto, not only advancing future developments but also demonstrating our firm commitment to green mining. I sincerely thank Isabelle for her continued contributions, said Simon Trott, CEO of Rio Tinto.

Deschamps will remain until mid-2026 to ensure business continuity while the company searches for a successor.

Guinea has initiated the export of ore from the Simandou area, with the first shipments expected to arrive in China in mid-January. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts that the Simandou area holds billions of tons of mineral reserves, and its development is expected to increase Guinea's GDP by 26% by 2030 and double its mining exports.

Source: ecofinagency

Original: toutiao.com/article/1856979759353868/

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